“I have been amazed at the huge effect a handful of volunteers can have! Without the help of volunteers, our canyons will become overrun by exotic invasives – our native plants and wildlife just don’t have a fighting chance. Perhaps the best thing about volunteering in our canyons is meeting others who come from such diverse backgrounds but are at the same time like-minded in their desire to care for the little bit of nature we have right in the heart of our community.”

University City resident Mark Woodworth
Volunteer with the Tri-Canyon Weed Warriors and the Friends of Rose Canyon since 2001

The Tri-canyon Weed Warriors began in the fall of 1996 as habitat restoration volunteers for the City of San Diego, department of Parks and Recreation. The Warriors were formed to provide volunteer support to help the City implement a series of grant-supported restoration projects. In the beginning the Weed Warriors mainly worked in Tecolote Canyon and Marian Bear removing Ice Plant, Castor Bean, Fennel, Teasel, Pampas Grass and Arundo Donax, a highly invasive plant similar to bamboo. During the winter period the Weed Warriors would focus on re-vegetating some areas in Tecolote Canyon and Marian Bear with native California plants. During the Spring, Summer and Fall period their efforts would focus on removing the invasive non-native plants and watering the re-vegetation sites.

Later, the group extended its efforts to Rose Canyon where it led the effort to implement a grant-supported restoration project in Rose Canyon between the two ends of the Regents Road.

Restoration work began in Rose Canyon in 1998 removing the invasive exotic weed Arundo from the bottom of the canyon. Later, Rose Canyon Recreation Council chairman Ben Stevenson brought in the volunteer efforts of the recreation council to help with the project, following the lead of the Weed Warriors.

As a result of some really super volunteer efforts, chain saws, and a legendary debris-pull, the Weed Warriors and the Recreation Council removed all the Arundo over that winter ('98-'99) and did an initial planting of California native plants. The Weed Warriors and Mark Woodworth in particular, along with the Tri-canyon rangers, have continued to support the restoration work from 1999 to date.